This invention relates to an explosive emulsion containing an emulsifier which is particularly well suited for use in the preparation of explosive water-in-oil emulsions. P According to the invention there is provided an explosive emulsion containing an emulsifier which comprises at least one ester of a polyhydric composition and a mono-or poly-basic organic acid.
The polyhydric composition may be any suitable alcohol and/or sugar, the latter preferably comprising either a mono-, oligo-, or polysaccharide.
Preferably the polyhydric composition comprises a sorbitol and/or sorbitan derivative.
The organic acid may be one having a carbon chain of from 2 to 50 carbon atoms and may comprise any suitable saturated or unsaturated straight chain, branched, aromatic or cyclic carbon skeleton from the list of polymers or oligomers originating from xcex1-olefins, alkenes, iso-alkenes and alkynes, examples of the foregoing being ethylene, propylene, butylene, isobutylene, pentene, benzene cyclohexane or cyclopentane.
Preferably the carbon chain of the acid includes as a substituent a poly isobutylene (xe2x80x9cPIBxe2x80x9d) group having a molecular mass of between 300 and 2000, preferably in the order of 950.
Preferably, also, the acid comprises a di-basic acid, particularly succinic acid.
It will be appreciated that the hydrophilic properties of the emulsifier according to the invention are determined by the nature of the polyhydric part of the molecule which exhibits strong polarity.
The lipophilic properties of the emulsifier, again, are determined by the nature of the particular carbon chain.
Further according to the invention the emulsifier comprises a mixture of two or more of the following compounds: 
where PIB=
with n=15 to 150, preferably 60-75;
R=Sorbitol 
R1=Sorbitan